He blinked back the mist in his eyes and turned to his computer. Time to work on those ideas he had for the shop. Soon he had a plan in shape, and the wonderful aromas from downstairs reminded him that with helping Val at the shop and going by to see his mother, he hadn’t taken time to eat. His stomach rumbled in protest as he sniffed the herb-filled air.
Time to work on these ideas later—now Julie’s homemade lasagna called to him.
Chapter 5
Her arms laden with boxes and bags, Val managed to unlock the shop doors and go inside. Susie rushed from across the street to help her. Val grinned and relinquished the bags. “Thanks, I was about to drop the blue box. It’s some of Mom’s stuff she didn’t use.”
“I brought a few things, too. We should have fun with our decorating today.”
Val set her load on the counter. “We will. Colt suggested we do what we want, so let’s get to it.”
For the next half hour, the two decorated the tree for the window display. When she plugged in the lights, tiny sparkles lit up the branches and gave it a festive look. “Lights do make a difference.” She placed the tree between the door and window, where it could be seen from the outside as well as first thing upon entering the store.
Susie fluffed the bows on two wreaths and hung one in each window on either side of the doors. She began humming the tune “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.”
Val laughed then began singing the song as Susie hummed. Val hung a jingle-bell cluster on the door then stepped back to admire their work. “I must say, the place looks much more like Christmas now. Aunt Cora told me about a Christmas delivery made just before Uncle Will died. She never got it out and then forgot about it until I called her last night.”
At that moment the bells jingled as Colt opened the door. “Hey, I see you two have been busy since I left yesterday.”
Val’s heart skipped in a happy dance. Not trusting her voice, she simply smiled, but Susie’s laugh tinkled as merrily as the bells on the door. “Thanks to our moms, we have all we need to give us a festive air around here.”
“And you’ve done a great job.” He nodded to Val. “Can we go back to the office? I have some ideas to run by you.”
“Sure.” Her hand trembled as she handed Susie a strand of tinsel. Susie tilted her head and raised her eyebrows in a way that meant she’d have questions later. Val breathed deeply to calm her emotions before turning to follow Colt to the back.
He had his laptop open and tapped on the keys when she entered. “Thanks for doing so much with the inventory list yesterday. Aunt Cora told me about some merchandise she’d ordered but never unpacked, and it’s Christmas stuff.”
“That’s good. It’ll fit right into what I have in mind.” He plopped into the chair by her desk. “The first thing I want to do is change your sign. I talked to a buddy of mine, and he’ll come over today and take off some of the old. The new name could be Cora’s Collectibles in big gold letters with smaller letters that say Gifts for All Occasions.
Val furrowed her brow. It did convey more of what the store was than the name she’d chosen, and it would honor her aunt. “That sounds nice. I like it, but what about all the outdated stuff we have?”
“That’s what will make it ‘collectible.’ We can advertise a big clearance sale of everything in the store. Since all of it has already been paid for, whatever price you charge will be yours.” Colt opened a file on the computer.
A diagram of a floor plan filled the screen. On closer inspection, Val realized it was the store. He had divided the space into sections, and she bent closer to read the print. As she scanned the wording, she began to see the plan emerging.
Colt pointed out the different areas. “Since we’re saying ‘all occasions’ in the advertising, we’ll have a special place here for wedding, shower, and other bridal merchandise. Then we’ll have a section for babies and young children. Another space will be for special holidays; another for cards, paper, and other wrapping supplies; and another for special-event decorations and supplies.”
She noticed right off his use of the word “we” in everything he described. He must be planning to stay and help her see it through. Her body stiffened. No, that was just advertising talk for clients. He’d help her get started, and then he’d be off again and out of her life. That’s what she wanted, wasn’t it? But her heart raced at the thought he might stay.
“Well, what do you think?”
Val started. He’d been waiting for her reaction, and she’d been thinking about his staying or leaving. She cleared her throat. “I think it might work. I’m willing to give it a try.”
“Good. Now let’s put a sign in the window that tells people a sale is going on. Then we can start rearranging the shelves and move things around.”
Val nodded and followed him back into the showroom. The day passed in a blur of moving things to new locations and grouping items together for quick sale. During the lunch hour, Val perused the catalogs Aunt Cora left and ordered merchandise for each new area of the store.
Susie found the boxes of Christmas items Aunt Cora had ordered and opened them. Val gasped at the quality of the merchandise she found. One box contained nothing but Precious Moments figurines and decorations, while another one contained items from Willow Tree and Dayspring.
At least her aunt had good taste. She and Susie unwrapped each item with care and checked it against the invoice, so she could put it on the computer later. Val glanced up to where Colt supervised the man repainting the sign. Through the windows she spotted a number of people looking in with curiosity. A few even made their way into the store.
Watching Colt talk with the customers and explain what they were doing to the store warmed her insides like her favorite latte. She shook her head. This would never do. Each time she stood, sat, or even walked near him, her blood tap-danced through her veins. If she didn’t get things under control immediately, her life would tumble back to those days of heartache.
All afternoon customers strolled in and out of the store as merchandise sold at an amazing rate. At four o’clock, Susie handed a customer two bags of cards and gift items. When the jingle bells signaled the lady had left, Susie punched keys on the register then whooped. “Val, Colt, come look at this.”
Val hurried to the counter and gasped at the numbers on the tally. “I can’t believe it. We’ve made more in this one day than in the past month.”
Colt joined them. “Hey, that looks great.”
Val’s arms went around his neck. “Thank you, thank you. Just a few little changes and it made such a difference.” His arms encircled her back, and the spicy scent of his aftershave hit her nose. The memory of the last time he held her close flooded her mind, and she jerked away.
Heat crept up her neck. “I’m sorry. Got a little carried away there.” She headed for her office. “I need to call Mom and tell her that we’re staying open late and I won’t be home for dinner.”
When the door closed behind her, a sob escaped her throat. “I can’t do this. He’s out of my life.” Her words hung in the air, mocking her vow to not let him have any effect on her feelings.
With her heart pounding, she sat down at her desk. He’d be gone after Christmas, and she could get her life back on the track she’d laid out for it. Until then, she’d just have to make sure her heart remained locked tight and out of his reach. She reached over and picked up the phone to call her mother.
Colt stared at the closed door. For one brief moment, time had reverted to five years ago. The warmth of Val’s body against his still permeated his being. If only he could really go back to that time and do things differently.
Susie cleared her throat. “You still care about her, don’t you?”
Heat filled his face. “Is it that obvious?”
“Oh, yeah, just like it was when you were in college. I thought for sure you two would marry just like Ryan and Amber.”
“So did I.” He shook himself. “That’s water under the br
idge. She’s moved on with her life.”
The bells jingled to signal the entrance of another customer, and Susie turned away, but not before a last remark. “Why don’t you just tell her how you feel? You might be surprised at her response.”
He wouldn’t go there again and set himself up for another rejection. Val had made it clear when she didn’t respond to his proposal in his last letter to her. A call would have been better perhaps, but he could always express his feelings better on paper. Apparently the words meant nothing to her, or she would have at least written to turn him down.
Another customer walked in, and he busied himself with helping Susie. Val returned but avoided him for the next hour. Business slowed then, and he took the opportunity to grab his jacket and computer and leave. “Bye, you two. Congratulations on your sales today. I’ll drop by tomorrow to check out a few more things.”
Without waiting for a reply, he hurried outside. A cold blast of wind greeted him, and he pulled his leather jacket around him and zipped it. The cold front the weatherman predicted had come in, and now it really began to feel like Christmas. The feelings didn’t quite reach his heart. He shoved his hands into his pockets and walked along the river where the reflections of decorations and lights sparkled in the water. He’d forgotten how beautiful the Riverwalk could be at Christmas.
Rockefeller Center in New York City was well known for its Christmas tree and ice skating, but as far as Colt was concerned, the Riverwalk outshone the Big Apple. Boats filled with carolers meandered along the curving river and added to the festivities. Any other time it would have filled his heart with joy, but tonight it only brought back memories of the holidays with Val.
He headed for his car. It was time for another visit with Aunt Cora, and to seek her wisdom as to what he should do now. Before heading in that direction, Colt drove through the posh neighborhood where he had grown up. He paused near the gate to the mansion where his mother lived like a hermit.
God, I just don’t understand why mother turned away from You, Chase and me, and all her friends. The woman I saw before I left looked nothing like the fun-loving beautiful woman she was when Dad was alive. Please, God, for the sake of Chase and Julie’s baby, I pray You will turn her heart around. What a wonderful Christmas gift that would be.
With a sigh, he stepped on the gas and turned his car toward the Bennett home.
Chapter 6
Val sat cross-legged on her bed reviewing the day. The sales had been so much more than she expected. If it kept up, she’d have enough for the rent and overhead to keep her shop open a while longer. Colt’s ideas were right on the money, and when the new merchandise arrived, she and Susie would be able to set up the areas as he had suggested.
She hugged her knees to her chest. The scene with Colt replayed itself over and over in her mind. Her spontaneous hug and the scent of his aftershave had unnerved her more than she could ever have imagined. Her mother was right. Being near him would only bring more heartache.
The rest of December loomed ahead with Colt coming into the store to oversee the changes as she implemented them. Lord, I need every bit of strength You can give me to get through these next weeks. Help me to keep my mind clear and alert to business and not romance.
Her thoughts then returned to the number of customers who had come in that day. She and Susie would never have made it without Colt’s help. His charm and wit had sold more than a few items. If this increased traffic continued, she may have to hire another clerk.
Then an idea popped into her mind. Aunt Cora could come back and work during the holidays. She had loved that aspect of owning the store, and would probably get a kick out of doing it again. Tomorrow would give an indication if that would be necessary.
Satisfied with that decision, Val picked up the invoices for the items she and Susie had unpacked that day. At least those bills had been paid, so any money made from the merchandise would be all profit and available to be put right back into the shop.
The more she worked, the more excited she became about actually owning the business and running it herself. The only cloud to mar the bright sunshine of optimism was the matter of seeing Colt so much in the next few weeks, but for the moment, she refused to let that cloud rain on her parade of good feelings.
Colt pushed back from the table and picked up his plate. “Cora, you’re still one of the best cooks around. Nobody makes stew and corn bread to beat yours.”
“That’s because you haven’t eaten anyone else’s but mine.” Cora grinned and placed her dishes on the counter. “Remember the first time you ate it here?”
A grin split Colt’s face. “I certainly do. You had picked up Chase and me and brought us here to stay a few weeks after Dad’s funeral. We’d never had such good home-cooked food.” Not that the cook his mother hired was not good, but her menus were more like restaurant fare than the plain, good food Cora dished up.
He leaned against the counter edge. “You know, you fed us more than good food to nourish our bodies. The food you gave us from the Bible nourished our hearts, and for that I’ll be forever thankful.”
Cora turned from the sink and hugged him. “I just wish I could take care of your heart now. I know it can’t be happy because your eyes tell me otherwise.”
He hugged her tightly as he would his mother in times past. Cora could always see straight into his soul and know when he was unhappy.
She stepped back from him. “Is it Valerie, or is your mother causing the pain I see?”
“I really don’t know. Both of them send my heart spiraling. Val’s closeness sends it into a nosedive toward memories of what I walked out on, and Mother’s sends it into the depths of despair trying to figure out what I can do to bring her out of her depression.”
Cora placed her hands on his shoulders. “I see your love for Valerie and know it’s as deep now as it was five years ago. Chase told me about your mother the day after you left. I’m glad you wrote me and let me know how and where you were. Have you talked with Val about what happened between you and your mother that caused you to run to New York?”
“I wrote to her several times and even asked her to marry me and join me in New York, but I never had an answer.” Remembering that rejection now sent more pain into his soul. “She didn’t bother to write back, so I figure she doesn’t want to know about it.”
“Why didn’t you call or come back to get her?”
“Good question, but you know I always express myself better on paper than I do with the spoken word.” If he’d had the courage, he would have returned to San Antonio and asked in person, but when she didn’t respond to his first letter, he’d taken the coward’s way out. Better a rejection on paper than in person.
“That may be so, but a phone call might have made a difference.” She knit her brow and peered at him. “You say you wrote to her. How many times?”
“I sent four letters the first two weeks I was gone, but never heard a word back from her.” The fourth letter asked her to marry him, but he had said he’d leave her alone if she didn’t answer, and so he had—until now.
Cora shook her head. “I don’t recall Valerie ever saying anything about a letter from you. She did ask me once if I knew why you had left, but I told her you could explain it better than I could.”
“I guess she was so angry because I left so suddenly that she didn’t want to discuss the matter with anyone.” That wasn’t like Valerie, since she had always gone straight to her aunt whenever she had a problem.
“Well, I think you need to tell her now what happened. You still love her.” She wagged a finger at him. “And don’t tell me you don’t because I can see it every time her name is mentioned.”
He held up his hands in surrender. “Guilty as charged.”
She led him into the living room. “Then let’s do something about it. I say you tell her everything about that time and see what her reaction is. Maybe you can start all over again with trying to win her heart.”
That may be
well and good, but the Valerie he’d seen at work was not the same one he’d left. Her attitude and actions when around him spoke of a woman who had dismissed him from her life. “I’m not sure if that will work. What if she rejects me again?”
“Son, nothing worth having comes without some risk. I think you’d be surprised by her response. Pray about it and go where God leads you.”
Prayer was the one thing he’d neglected these past few weeks. Once a regular part of each day, his time talking with the Lord had become sporadic. “I’ll do that. Working with her each day for the next few weeks should give me some hints, and then I’ll do whatever I feel the Lord is telling me to do.”
Cora’s smile lit up her face. “That’s my boy.” Then her face turned serious again. “I’ve been praying for your mother every day for over ten years. I don’t know what’s taking God so long to fix things because I’m sure He wants them to be fixed.”
“I’ve prayed for her, too, but nothing I say seems to have any success. Just a few nights ago I went by the house. Mrs. Barnes was glad to see me, but when she told Mother I was there, I heard ranting and shouting telling me to get out and never come back.”
Cora sank onto the sofa beside him, and her arms wrapped around him in the comforting hug he remembered from years ago. “Colt, your mother doesn’t know what she wants. We’ll have to keep praying for a miracle to help her see that her life isn’t over. In fact, I’m going to go by to see her again, and this time I won’t let her turn me away.”
“Thanks, but I wonder what good it will do, if any.” If she hadn’t come around by now, he didn’t see how one more visit from Cora could make a difference.
“It may not, but I have to try. It’s time for Sylvia to realize she has a family, and it’s about to get bigger when that grandchild comes along.”
A Riverwalk Christmas: Four-in-One Collection Page 10